For the first half hour after the champions were in the maze, Bryt talked happily with Hermione, Ron, Bill, and Mrs. Weasley and occasionally listened to her brothers and their friends arguing over whether Harry or Diggory was the better champion. Of course, she knew the third task would be just as dangerous as the first two, but Harry wasn't going in blindly this time. He had spent the last month in preparation. Bryt wasn't all that worried about Harry this time around.
At least, she wasn't until red sparks suddenly flew into the sky above the maze and Bryt was reminded of the detention she served in the forest her first year—red sparks had been the signal they were to give if they ran into trouble. Apparently it was the same here as a couple of the teachers, who had been walking constantly around the edge of the maze, started heading inside.
"I hope that's not Harry," Hermione said and Bryt gave a small nod in agreement.
A few minutes later, both teachers returned with both Krum and Delacour walking behind them. It was impossible to see their expressions from in the stands, but Bryt was sure both were upset at having been pulled from the task.
After that, Bryt began to worry and slipped her chipped bracelet off her wrist, starting to play with it between her hands. Even prepared, and several years older than Harry, both Krum and Delacour had to forfeit the task. Bryt started to wonder more and more how Harry was doing within the maze and if he would end up running into something he couldn't handle.
'Well, as long as we don't see sparks, we know he's doin' okay,' Bryt told herself.
"Either way, Hogwarts will win now!" Kevin was saying happily in front of them, "Harry and Cedric were already tied for first place, and now since they're the only ones left in the maze, it's a given Hogwarts will win!"
"I bet Harry will get there first, though," Mike said with a quick nod of confidence, and once again, the group of first years began arguing.
"What d'you think they ran into that they couldn't handle?" Ron asked in a low voice, leaning closer towards Hermione and Bryt, as if he didn't want his mother, brother, or first years in front of them to overhear. Bryt shrugged in response.
"They probably have enchantments, barricades, and such," Bryt whispered back, "Or maybe a couple of creatures. It won't be anythin' Harry can't handle, though. We helped him prepare for anythin' he might go up against. That maze'll most likely be no more difficult than the obstacles we ran into our first year when we went after the Sorcerer's Stone."
"And we came through those perfectly fine," Hermione added, though she was watching the maze with a worried expression.
The wait after that was hard to sit through. Bryt's nerves were starting to get the better of her as she started thinking about what Harry would be going against in the maze. She constantly kept telling herself that they hadn't seen anyone send sparks up again, so Harry had to be doing fine. It did little to help, though.
It wasn't until another half hour passed that anything else happened. It was so quick that Bryt didn't notice at first, but others seemed to as an odd buzzing of questions started rising through the crowd. Bryt pushed herself up to stand on her chair and noticed two figures lying on the ground outside the maze. Bryt instantly knew it was Harry and Diggory—and that something was wrong.
"Mike, Drew, stay here," Bryt told her brothers before starting off through the stands with her friends, Mrs. Weasley, and Bill. They weren't alone. It seemed everyone was starting to head towards the entrance of the maze.
'Please let them be okay, oh please, God, let them be okay...' Bryt thought over and over again, her heart pounding in her chest as she gripped her bracelet tightly in one hand.
Bryt couldn't see through the crowd as they got closer, so she asked Ron if he could see anything over the heads of the crowd.
"No," Ron said, sounding worried and standing on his toes, "I don't know what's going on."
"He's dead!" someone suddenly yelled up ahead, "Cedric Diggory! Dead!"
Bryt gripped onto Ron's arm, a cold wave of nausea washing over her and staring blankly in front of her, suddenly feeling as if her legs might give out under her. Diggory was dead? How was that possible? The Triwizard Tournament was supposed to have safeguards against this. How did it happen?
And what about Harry? Was he okay?
"We have to get up there," Ron said in a hollow voice, "We have to make sure Harry's okay."
Bryt started to nod, but then stopped herself.
"You head on," she said weakly, "I have to check on my brothers. I'll catch up later."
Ron and Hermione nodded, both understanding, and started fighting through the crowd after Mrs. Weasley and Bill, who're much further ahead already. Bryt turned from them and started back through the crowd, which was increasingly difficult as most people were trying to go the other way and Bryt felt as if she were moving through an endless fog after running a marathon. Her legs seemed like jelly and her breaths were coming short as her heart pounded wildly in her chest. She tried not to think about what happened, focusing only on one thing—to get to her little brothers.
It was a few minutes before Bryt finally broke through the crowd and was relieved to see Mike and Drew at the edge of the stands with their friends. Bryt instantly hurried over to them and noticed the entire group seemed terrified. Natalie was sitting on the ground, her face hidden in her knees, Owen and Kevin seemed as if they had been Petrified, and Mike and Drew were both ghostly pale—Drew even looked as Bryt felt, as if his legs might give way under him at any moment—and was gripping tightly to his brother's arm for support.
"Is...is it true?" Mike asked in a small voice, "They're saying Diggory's..."
"He can't be," Drew whispered, seeming in some kind of daze and didn't even seem to notice Bryt was there. Bryt couldn't find her voice. She didn't know what to say to her brothers—she doubted anything would be able to comfort them. Instead, she moved over, hugging both of her brothers close. She knew Drew admired Diggory greatly, and talked about how Diggory had helped him settle into Hogwarts at the beginning of the school year. She was sure that they all were effected greatly over what had just happened but Drew, most of all, probably felt just as Bryt had felt six years before when her grandparents had died—Horrified and numb, not wanting to believe it had just happened.
Very similar to how Bryt was feeling now. Her mind seemed in a haze and she didn't know what to think or what to do. Only that her brothers needed her right now. She was still holding them against her, as if that would somehow protect them from the truth, as she stared blankly at the stands and her brothers clung back, both of them shaking slightly. Bryt was only vaguely aware of the voices off behind her and footsteps starting across the grounds back towards the castle. She ignored it, continuing to hold her brothers. As long as they stood there and needed her, Bryt wasn't going to walk off on them.
"Bryt?"
Bryt looked over her shoulder and noticed Ron standing nearby, his face a ghostly white. Bryt suddenly felt a wave of dread, her mind instantly going to Harry.
"Is..." Bryt started, but couldn't finish the question and swallowed hard.
"Professor Moody's taken Harry up to the castle," Ron said weakly, "To the hospital wing, probably...He seemed okay, at least."
Bryt felt a small wave of relief, but also felt torn as she looked down at her brothers, both of whom were glancing between Bryt and Ron. Bryt wanted to head with Ron and go to the hospital wing, to see for herself that Harry was okay. But she also knew her brothers needed her. She wanted to stay with them as well.
"We'll understand if you stay with them," Ron said, as if sensing Bryt's thoughts, "Drew and Mike're your family. You always stick to family."
"Harry's family, too," Bryt pointed out in a weak voice. Harry and her may not have been related by blood, but Bryt considered him as much of a brother as Mike and Drew.
"Go on, Bryt," Drew whispered, his voice hoarse and hollow, "I...I'm okay...I have Kevin and Owen." Drew glanced over his shoulder towards his friends, "And the rest of the Hufflepuffs...I need to be with them..."
Mike nodded as well. "I need to take care of Natalie," he said simply, pulling away from Bryt and instantly going to his friend, squatting down in front of her and trying to get Natalie to look up. She didn't seem too willing to move, however.
Bryt felt an odd sense of pride going through her at how brave both of her brothers were in handling what had happened, and over their loyalty to their friends. Bryt hugged Drew close again, then squatted down and hugged Mike as well.
"If you need me, I'll be in the hospital wing," she whispered and both boys nodded before slowly heading off after the crowd still making their way across the Hogwarts ground—Mike seemed to be supporting Natalie, who was most likely in shock. Bryt watched them go, still feeling as if she were in a numbing daze, as she instinctively reached out and grasped Ron's hand, glad that he was there. It wouldn't even matter if Ron didn't say anything to her. She felt safer with him and knew she could rely on him. That's what mattered right now.
The walk through the castle helped Bryt start to clear her head and slowly begin to grasp what had happened. Something had to have gone wrong during the task and now Diggory was dead...Diggory, a fellow Hogwarts student and a Hufflepuff who had been so helpful to Drew over the past year, was dead...
"How could this have happened?" Bryt asked weakly.
"I don't know," Ron answered and the two fell silent again until they reached the hospital wing.
Mrs. Weasley and Bill were already there with Hermione, all three seeming to be asking Madam Pomfrey different questions at the same time. As Bryt and Ron got closer, Bryt looked around but couldn't see Harry. She was surprised and worried to see that Moody was lying on a nearby bed, though he seemed...different. He looked much thinner than he had only hours before and his hair seemed longer, though also badly chopped in some areas, as a child's would after they took a pair of scissors and tried to cut their own hair.
"What's goin' on?" Bryt asked in a whisper as she pulled Hermione to the side.
"We got here as Madam Pomfrey and Snape were bringing Professor Moody in," Hermione answered in a whisper, looking pale and as frightened as Bryt was feeling, "We overheard them talking. A Death Eater has actually been impersonating him all year and keeping him locked in a trunk."
Bryt tightened her grip around Ron's hand as she looked towards Moody unconscious on the nearby bed, his fake leg and magical eye on the nightstand beside him. She didn't know what was worse—the idea that she had been taught by a Death Eater for the past year, the fact that the Death Eater had fooled everyone, even Dumbledore, or thinking about what the real Moody must have gone though over the past year.
"Harry's not here, either," Hermione went on, "Madam Pomfrey says she doesn't know where he is."
"But...He's okay, isn't he?" Ron asked.
"As far as we know," Hermione said, though she didn't sound very sure of herself, "We saw him walking up to the castle—"
"But that had to have been with the fake Moody, the Death Eater," Ron said, his voice sounding weak and hollow, "What if—"
Bryt felt a wave of dread, but didn't get to think more on it as the door opened behind them and everyone spun around. Bryt's dread instantly went to relief as she noticed it was Dumbledore and Harry, along with a great black dog that Bryt instantly recognized as Sirius. It didn't surprise her that he would be here, not after what happened, though it brought up Bryt's usual guilt over the fact that Sirius was still a fugitive because she failed to capture Wormtail the year before. A second later, however, the relief and guilt went to worry as she noticed the dazed, empty look on Harry's face. Bryt couldn't imagine what he had to be going through right now. She wanted to head over and hug him—as she had when she noticed how distraught her brothers had been—but she seemed to still be in a slight daze over all that had happened and couldn't get herself to move. She was beginning to feel that if much more happened, her mind was going to shut down completely.
Mrs. Weasley started forward, but Dumbledore held her off.
"Molly," he said, "Please listen to me for a moment. Harry has been through a terrible ordeal tonight. He has just had to relive it for me. What he needs now is sleep, and peace, and quiet. If he would like you all to stay with him," Dumbledore paused, glancing around at the group, "You may do so. But I do not want you questioning him until he is ready to answer, and certainly not this evening."
Mrs. Weasley nodded, then turned back towards Bryt, Hermione, Ron, and Bill, her face very white.
"Did you hear? He needs quiet!" she repeated, as if they had been talking loudly behind her.
"Headmaster," Madam Pomfrey said, looking at Sirius in his dog form, "May I ask what—"
"This dog will be remaining with Harry for a while," Dumbledore said, "I assure you, he is extremely well trained. Harry—I will wait while you get into bed. I will be back to see you as soon as I have met Fudge. I would like you to remain here tomorrow until I have spoken to the school."
Dumbledore left with that and Madam Pomfrey hurried Harry to a nearby bed where she gave him a pair of pajamas and pulled the screen around him to allow him privacy to change.
Bryt and the others waited until they were sure Harry was in bed before coming over to him, pulling over chairs. Bryt pulled her own very close to Ron's, leaning against his side. It was comforting to her to be close to him, and have his arm around her. Until now, she hadn't realized how close she had been to collapsing. Everything seemed to be like an awful nightmare at the moment, and having Ron's arm protectively around her was comforting.
Though Bryt's mind was racing and she felt trapped in some nightmare, she more worried about Harry than herself at the moment. There was no telling what exactly he had gone through in the maze, though Bryt had the feeling he had seen whatever it was that happened to Diggory. Whatever it was, there was no doubt it had been a traumatic experience for Harry.
"I'm all right," Harry said, as if he knew what Bryt and the others were thinking, "Just tired."
Bryt doubted Harry was telling the truth, but she gave him a small grin that took a lot of effort for her to force. Mrs. Weasley looked as if she were close to tears and started smoothing down the covers around Harry as Madam Pomfrey came back with a goblet full of a purple-colored potion.
'A sleepin' potion most likely,' Bryt told herself. After whatever it was Harry went through, Bryt knew Harry would need it.
"You'll need to drink all of this, Harry," Madam Pomfrey said, "It's a potion for dreamless sleep."
Harry had only taken a few sips before the potion was obviously taking effect and his head began to bob slightly. Mrs. Weasley took the goblet from Harry before he could drop it and placed it lightly on the nightstand as Harry slumped back in the bed, his expression peaceful in his sleep.
Bryt closed her own eyes, tuning out everyone around her. She didn't want to think about anything at the moment. Leaning against Ron, she wanted, just for a few moments, to pretend they were in the common room, working on homework or talking about Quidditch. She wanted to pretend Cedric Diggory wasn't dead and she hadn't learned that an escaped Death Eater had been teaching them at Hogwarts for the past year. She just wanted everything to go back to normal.
Unfortunately, it wasn't too long before Bryt was pulled from her daydreaming by the sounds of yelling just outside the hospital wing. Bryt looked up and turned halfway in her chair to look towards the door with Ron and Hermione as Bill and Mrs. Weasley stood up.
"I hope this doesn't wake Harry," Bryt whispered anxiously. He had gone through enough tonight already.
"What are they shouting about?" Bill asked, "Nothing else can have happened, can it?"
"Oh, God, I hope not," Bryt muttered.
The shouting got closer and they were soon able to make out who the voices belonged to.
"That's Fudge's voice," Mrs. Weasley said, "And that's Minerva McGonagall's, isn't it? But what are they arguing about?"
"Regrettable," Fudge's voice drifted loudly into the room, "But all the same, Minerva—"
"You should never have brought it inside the castle!" McGonagall was yelling, sounding much angrier than Bryt had ever heard her before, "When Dumbledore finds out—"
McGonagall never finished what she was going to say as she and the Minister of Magic both came into the room, both seeming furious, and Snape was right behind them. Bryt shuddered slightly at the sight of McGonagall's anger. She had been on the receiving end of her Transfiguration teacher's anger before—most notably in her first year when she was caught with Neville outside of the common room after hours—and it was never a good thing.
"Where's Dumbledore?" Fudge snapped in a way as if he were demanding an answer instead of asking for one. Bryt glared at him. She had never liked Fudge much.
"He's not here," Mrs. Weasley said, obviously fighting hard not to raise her voice, "This is a hospital wing, Minister, don't you think you'd do better to—"
Mrs. Weasley didn't get to finish as the door opened again and Dumbledore came in. He stopped a few feet in, however, when he noticed McGonagall and Fudge.
"What happened?" Dumbledore asked, looking between the two, "Why are you disturbing these people? Minerva, I'm surprised at you—I asked you to stand guard over Barty Crouch—"
"There's no need to stand over him anymore, Dumbledore! The Minister has seen to that!"
Bryt exchanged a glance with Hermione and Ron. Barty Crouch had been the Death Eater? That didn't make sense. They knew enough of the man to know him being a Death Eater was about as likely as Dumbledore being one. Not to mention they had seen Crouch at the same time as the fake Moody a couple of times during the year—he couldn't have been the one impersonating Moody all year.
'Wait, his son...' Bryt thought, remembering how Crouch had sent his own son to Azkaban for being accused of being a Death Eater—and the boy had shared the same name as his father. But wasn't Crouch Jr. supposed to be dead? Sirius had told them the boy had died not long after being taken to Azkaban. Had Sirius been wrong, and Crouch Jr. actually escaped? If so, how had he managed it?
"When we told Mr. Fudge that we had caught the Death Eater responsible for tonight's events," Snape said, pulling Bryt from her thoughts, "He seemed to feel his personal safety was in question. He insisted on summoning a dementor to accompany him into the castle. He brought it up to the office where Barty Crouch—"
"I told him you would not agree, Dumbledore!" McGonagall cut in and Bryt gave a small shudder at the idea of the dementor being in the castle. She knew well enough from the year before that dementors were the most unpleasant thing she could ever be around.
"I told him you would never allow dementors to set foot inside the castle," McGonagall continued, "But—"
"My dear woman!" Fudge cut in, "As Minister of Magic, it is my decision whether I wish to bring protection with me when interviewing a possibly dangerous—"
"The moment that—that thing entered the room," McGonagall raised her voice, drowning out Fudge's, "It swooped down on Crouch and—and—"
Bryt gripped onto Ron's arm, feeling nauseous. She knew exactly what had happened. The dementor had given Crouch Jr. a fate worse than death—it had sucked the man's soul from his body, leaving him an empty shell. Alive, but no longer a human being. No matter how bad the person, Bryt had always believed no one ever deserved to undergo a Dementor's Kiss.
"By all accounts, he is no loss!" Fudge snapped, "It seems he has been responsible for several deaths!"
"But he cannot now give testimony, Cornelius," Dumbledore said, an expression on his face that Bryt had never seen before on the man, "He cannot give evidence about why he killed those people."
"Why he killed them? Well, there's no mystery, is it? He was a raving lunatic! From what Minerva and Severus have told me, he seems to have thought he was doing it all on You-Know-Who's instructions!"
"Lord Voldemort was giving him instructions, Cornelius," Dumbledore replied, "Those people's deaths were mere by-products of a plan to restore Voldemort to full strength again. The plan succeeded. Voldemort has been restored to his body."
Bryt felt the sickening nausea again and heard Hermione make an odd noise next to her. Ron tightened his grip around Bryt's shoulders and Bryt glanced out of the corner of her eye to see Ron looking as if he might be sick or pass out. Bryt felt exactly the same, once more thinking of the cloaked figure she had seen years ago in the forest. She thought of the chaos during the Quidditch World Cup and the horror stories Sirius had told them of what it was like during Voldemort's last rise to power. She knew from Harry that Dumbledore believed Voldemort was trying to rise to power again, but to hear Dumbledore say he truly believed Voldemort had succeeded...
'Please, oh please let this just be a nightmare,' Bryt thought, her heart pounding hard in her chest.
"You-Know-Who...returned?" Fudge's voice sounded muted, "Preposterous. Come now, Dumbledore..."
"As Minerva and Severus have doubtless told you," Dumbledore answered, "We heard Barty Crouch confess. Under the influence of Veritaserum, he told us how he was smuggled out of Azkaban, and how Voldemort—learning of his continued existence from Bertha Jorkins—went to free him from his father and used him to capture Harry. The plan worked, I tell you. Crouch has helped Voldemort to return."
"See here, Dumbledore," Fudge said, an odd expression crossing his face, "You can't seriously believe that. You-Know-Who—back? Come now, come now...certainly, Crouch may have believed himself to be acting upon You-Know-Who's orders—but to take the word of a lunatic like that, Dumbledore..."
"When Harry touched the Triwizard Cup tonight, he was transported straight to Voldemort. He witness Lord Voldemort's rebirth. I will explain it all to you if you will step up to my office." Dumbledore paused to glance around and Bryt noticed he looked towards Harry on the bed behind them before looking back at Fudge. "I am afraid I cannot permit you to question Harry tonight."
"You are—er—prepared to take Harry's word on this, are you, Dumbledore?" Fudge asked, the odd look still on his face.
"Certainly I believe Harry," Dumbledore said instantly, "I heard Crouch's confession, and I heard Harry's account of what happened after he touched the Triwizard Cup; the two stories make sense, they explain everything that has happened since Bertha Jorkins disappeared last summer."
Fudge's odd grin remained and Bryt gripped her hands tightly, biting down on her tongue to hold back a rude comment.
"You are prepared to believe that Lord Voldemort has returned on the word of a lunatic murderer and a boy who...well..."
Fudge looked towards Harry on his bed and Bryt glared at him, already knowing what he was talking about.
"You've been reading Rita Skeeter, Mr. Fudge."
Bryt, Ron, and Hermione all jumped and spun around in their chairs to see Harry was awake and sitting up behind them, giving Fudge a harsh look. Bryt wondered how long Harry had been awake and how much he had heard.
"And if I have?" Fudge asked, turning back to Dumbledore, "If I have discovered that you've been keeping certain facts about the boy very quiet? A Parselmouth, eh? And having funny turns all over the place—"
"I assume you are referring to the pains Harry has been experiencing in his scar?" Dumbledore cut in.
"You admit that he has been having these pains, then? Headaches? Nightmares? Possibly—hallucinations?"
Bryt tensed in her chair, glaring at Fudge. She couldn't believe he was accusing Harry of being insane—of imagining all the horrors he had gone through.
"Listen to me, Cornelius," Dumbledore said, his tone harsh and Bryt swallowed, glancing between Ron and Hermione. None of them have ever seen Dumbledore quite so angry before.
"Harry is as sane as you or I," Dumbledore continued, "That scar upon his forehead has not addled his brains. I believe it hurts him when Lord Voldemort is close by, or feeling particularly murderous."
Fudge stared at Dumbledore, his expression still holding that odd smile that made Bryt want to hit him more and more with each passing moment.
"You'll forgive me, Dumbledore, but I've never heard of a curse scar acting as an alarm bell before..."
"Look, I saw Voldemort come back!" Harry snapped, starting to get out of bed, but Mrs. Weasley pushed him back, "I saw the Death Eaters! I can give you their names! Lucius Malfoy—"
"Malfoy was cleared!" Fudge cut in, "A very old family—donations to excellent causes—"
'More like payoffs,' Bryt thought sourly.
"Macnair!" Harry went on.
"Also cleared! Now working for the Ministry!"
'Yeah, killin' innocent creatures,' Bryt thought, remembering that Macnair had been the executioner assigned for Buckbeak's 'trial' at the end of their last school year.
"Avery—Nott—Crabbe—Goyle—"
"You are merely repeating the names of those who were acquitted of being Death Eaters thirteen years ago! You could have found those names in old reports of the trials! For heaven's save, Dumbledore—the boy was full of some crackpot story at the end of last year too—his tales are getting taller, and you're still swallowing them—the boy can talk to snakes, Dumbledore, and you still think he's trustworthy?"
"You fool!" McGonagall snapped, "Cedric Diggory! Mr. Crouch! These deaths were not the random work of a lunatic!"
"I see no evidence to the contrary!" Fudge yelled back, his face red with anger, "It seems to me that you are all determined to start a panic that will destabilize everything we have worked for the last thirteen years!"
'Merlin, how can he be so blind?' Bryt thought, gripping her hands into fists, 'All this evidence and he still won't believe it?'
"Voldemort has returned," Dumbledore repeated, "If you accept that fact straightaway, Fudge, and take the necessary measures, we may be able to save the situation. The first and most essential step is to remove Azkaban from the control of the dementors—"
"Preposterous!" Fudge interrupted, "Remove the dementors? I'd be kicked out of office for suggesting it! Half of us only feel safe in out beds at night because we know the dementors are standing guard at Azkaban!"
"The rest of us sleep less soundly in our beds, Cornelius, knowing that you have put Lord Voldemort's most dangerous supporters in the care of creatures who will join him the instant he asks them! They will not remain loyal to you, Fudge! Voldemort can offer them much more scope for their powers and their pleasures than you can! With dementors behind him, and his old supporters returned to him, you will be hard-pressed to stop him regaining the sort of power he had thirteen years ago!"
Bryt closed her eyes, shaking her head and trying to push back the thought of dementors loose on the world. She thought about the hopeless feeling she had when she was around them, and couldn't imagine that being on a wide-scale, with dementors siding with Voldemort...
"The second step you must take—and at once," Dumbledore went on, his voice seeming oddly distant to Bryt as she pulled herself from her thoughts, "Is send envoys to the giants."
"Envoys to the giants?" Fudge asked in a high sort of voice, "What madness is this?"
"Extend to them the hand of friendship, now, before it's too late. Or Voldemort will persuade them, as he did before, that he alone among wizards will give them their rights and their freedom!"
"You—you can't be serious!" Fudge's face seemed pale, "If the magical community got wind that I had approached the giants—people hate them, Dumbledore—end of my career—"
'Is that all you care about?' Bryt thought bitterly, 'Your career?'
"You are blinded," Dumbledore raised his voice, "By the love of the office you hold, Cornelius! You place too much importance, and you always have done, on the so-called purity of blood! You fail to recognize that it matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be! Your dementor has just destroyed the last remaining member of a pure-blood family as old as any—and see what that man chose to make of his life! I tell you now—take the steps I have suggested, and you will be remembered, in office or out, as one of the bravest and greatest Ministers of Magic we have ever known. Fail to act—and history will remember you as the man who stepped aside and allowed Voldemort a second chance to destroy the world we have tried to rebuild!"
"Insane..." Fudge muttered, "Mad..."
Bryt squeezed Ron's hand slightly, still glaring at Fudge. How could he be so blind? All the evidence was clearly there. Why was Fudge so determined to ignore it?
"If your determination to shut your eyes will carry you as far as this, Cornelius," Dumbledore said calmly, sounding as if he were stating a simple truth, "We have reached a parting of ways. You must act as you see fit. And I—I shall act as I see fit."
"Now see here, Dumbledore," Fudge said, straightening up, "I've given you free rein, always. I've had a lot of respect for you. I might not have agreed with some of your decisions, but I've kept quiet. There aren't many who'd have let you hire werewolves, or keep Hagrid, or decide what to teach your students without reference to the Ministry. But if you're going to work against me—"
"The only one against whom I intend to work is Lord Voldemort. If you are against him, then we remain, Cornelius, on the same side."
For the first time, it seemed Fudge had no response, no excuse to counteract what Dumbledore was saying. He stood still for a moment, and when he spoke up, his voice was quiet.
"He can't be back, Dumbledore, he just can't be..."
Suddenly, Bryt felt a wave of pity for Fudge. She started to think that Fudge's determination to ignore Dumbledore's warnings had nothing to do with just wanting to stay in office. She was beginning to believe that Fudge simply wanted to believe that Voldemort wasn't returning to power. He wanted to believe their lives were all still safe, that nothing was wrong. That was something Bryt couldn't blame him for, as she had found herself hoping the same thing. It still didn't change the fact that she also hated Fudge for constantly accusing Harry of being insane, however.
Snape moved towards Fudge and pushed up the sleeve of his robe. Bryt could easily see, from where she was sitting, what was on his arm and shuddered as she noticed it was a tattoo of the Dark Mark.
"There," Snape said coldly, "There. The Dark Mark. It is not as clear as it was an hour or so ago, when it burned black, but you can still see it. Every Death Eater had this sign burned into him by the Dark Lord. It was a means of distinguishing one another, and his means of summoning us to him. When he touched the Mark of any Death Eater, we were to Disapparate and Apparate, instantly, at his side. This Mark has been growing clearer all year. Karkaroff's too. Why do you think Karkaroff fled tonight? We both felt the Mark burn. We both knew he had returned. Karkaroff fears the Dark Lord's vengeance. He betrayed too many of his fellow Death Eaters to be sure of a welcome back into the fold."
Fudge took a step back, shaking his head. He turned from Snape, looking back at Dumbledore.
"I don't know what you and your staff are playing at, Dumbledore, but I have heard enough. I have no more to add. I will be in touch with you tomorrow, Dumbledore, to discuss the running of this school. I must return to the Ministry."
Fudge started for the door and Bryt glared after him, but before Fudge left, he turned and headed to Harry's bed, dropping a bag on the nightstand. Bryt noticed it made an odd jingling sound.
"Your winnings," Fudge said sharply, "One thousand Galleons. There should have been a presentation ceremony, but under the circumstances..."
Fudge left with that and Bryt, again, glared after him before turning back to Dumbledore.
"There is work to be done," Dumbledore said simply, looking towards Mrs. Weasley, "Molly...Am I right in thinking I can count on you and Arthur?"
"Of course you can," Mrs. Weasley said at once, then though her face was very pale, "We know what Fudge is. It's Arthur's fondness for Muggles that has held him back at the Ministry all these years. Fudge thinks he lacks proper wizarding pride."
"Then I need you to send a message to Arthur. All those that we can persuade of the truth must be notified immediately, and he is well placed to contact those at the Ministry who are not as shortsighted as Cornelius."
"I'll go to Dad," Bill said, "I'll go now."
"Excellent," Dumbledore said, "Tell him what has happened. Tell him I will be in direct contact with him shortly. He will need to be discreet, however. If Fudge thinks I am interfering at the Ministry—"
"Leave it to me," was all Bill said before kissing his mother on the cheek and leaving quickly.
"Minerva," Dumbledore said, turning towards McGonagall, "I want to see Hagrid in my office as soon as possible. Also—if she will consent to come—Madam Maxime."
McGonagall gave a small nod and left as Dumbledore turned to Madam Pomfrey.
"Poppy, would you be very kind and go down to Professor Moody's office, where I think you will find a house elf called Winky in considerable distress? Do what you can for her, and take her back to the kitchens. I think Dobby will look after her for us."
'Oh man, Winky...' Bryt thought as Madam Pomfrey hurried from the room. She couldn't imagine what poor Winky was going through at the moment.
Dumbledore stood quiet for a few moments before turning his attention back to the group.
"And now, it's time for two of our number to recognize each other for what they hare. Sirius...if you could resume your usual form."
Bryt turned towards Sirius as the man transformed from his dog form back to human. In all the commotion, she had forgotten he was in the room. Mrs. Weasley suddenly screamed and jumped back.
"Mum, shut up! It's okay!"
Bryt elbowed Ron hard in the side, giving him a sharp look. Telling his mother to shut up was definitely one of the more disrespectful things he had done over the years.
"Him!" Snape snapped, looking furious, "What is he doing here?"
"He is here at my invitation," Dumbledore said, "As are you, Severus. I trust you both. It is time for you to lay aside your old differences and trust each other."
Bryt fought back a laugh. Snape and Sirius trusting each other was something that would never happen, something proven by the looks of pure hatred Snape and Sirius were giving each other.
"I will settle, in the short term," Dumbledore said sternly, "For the lack of open hostility. You will shake hands. You are on the same side now. Time is short, and unless the few of us who know the truth stand united, there is no hope for any of us."
Sirius and Snape continued to glare at each other, but reached out and clasped hands for barely half a second before letting go again.
"That will do to begin with," Dumbledore said simply, moving forward, "Now, I have work for each of you. Fudge's attitude, though not unexpected, changes everything. Sirius, I need you to set off at once. You are to alert Remus Lupin, Arabella Figg, Mundungus Fletcher—the old crowd. Lie low at Lupin's for a while; I will contact you there."
"But..." Harry started and Bryt could see from his expression that he didn't want Sirius to leave.
"You'll see me again very soon, Harry," Sirius said, "I promise you. But I must do what I can, you understand, don't you?"
"Yeah...Yeah...Of course I do."
Sirius took Harry's hand for a second before giving Dumbledore a small nod and transforming into a dog again and leaving, using a paw to open the door. Bryt's guilt started worming back again as she couldn't help but think that Sirius wouldn't have to disguise himself and lie low if he were a free man.
'Like Hermione said, me catchin' Wormtail probably wouldn't've changed anythin',' Bryt thought weakly, but, as before, she didn't quite believe it.
"Severus," Dumbledore went on, turning to Snape now, "You know what I must ask you to do. If you are ready...If you are prepared..."
"I am," Snape said simply, but there was an odd edge to his voice and he seemed paler than usual.
"Then good luck," Dumbledore said as Snape left the room, leaving Dumbledore alone with them. Silence fell over the group and Bryt bit her lip slightly, glancing around at her friends, Dumbledore, and Mrs. Weasley.
"I must go downstairs," Dumbledore finally spoke up again, "I must see the Diggorys. Harry—take the rest of your potion. I will see all of you later."
As Dumbledore left and Bryt, Hermione, Ron, and Mrs. Weasley all looked back to Harry, silence fell over them again. Bryt leaned back against Ron, her mind going to what the Diggorys must be going through now. Bryt remembered how horrible it had been for her to lose her grandparents when she was younger, but she had a feeling that it couldn't quite compare to someone losing their only child...Not to mention Bryt had only been nine when her grandparents died. She had been in the hospital room when her grandmother passed—due to her own stubbornness and insistence that she was 'old enough to handle it'—and the metallic wailing of the heart monitor flat lining was in Bryt's nightmares for months afterward. But still, she had been young, and hadn't lived with her grandparents on a daily basis. It hadn't been too long before she had accepted what happened and grew used to the fact her grandparents wouldn't visit anymore. She imagined it would be a lot harder for parents to deal with the loss of their son.
"You've got to take the rest of your potion, Harry," Mrs. Weasley said quietly and Bryt jerked from her thoughts, glancing towards Ron's mother as she picked up the goblet with the potion, "You have a good long sleep. Try and think about something else for a while...thing about what you're going to buy with your winnings!"
"I don't want that gold," Harry muttered, "You have it. Anyone can have it. I shouldn't have won. It should've been Cedric's."
An odd tone overtook Harry's voice at that moment and he made a face, as if he were fighting against something. Bryt glanced away, having a good feeling that Harry was fighting back tears.
"It wasn't your fault, Harry," Mrs. Weasley said quietly.
"I told him to take the cup with me."
Understanding and guilt washed over Bryt and she stared off towards the window. Harry was blaming himself for Cedric's death—just as Bryt blamed herself for Sirius still being a fugitive. Bryt understood exactly what Harry felt like at the moment. And the worst part was she couldn't even tell him, to help comfort him, because he would most likely hate her for what she did.
Something started moving on the window nearby and Bryt straightened up, staring at it curiously, then her eyes widened as she noticed it was a bug.
'Skeeter!' Bryt thought instantly, 'This is the last thing we need!'
She nudged Hermione next to her and nodded towards the window. Hermione followed her gaze and seemed to instantly understand. Hermione got to her feet and slowly made her way to the window, slamming her hand down, but Bryt noticed her hand was cupped so Hermione would trap Skeeter instead of smash her.
'Though she'd deserve a good smashin',' Bryt thought.
"Your potion, Harry," Mrs. Weasley said softly, handing the goblet to Harry again.
Harry took the goblet and swallowed down what was left of the potion, starting to fall back asleep instantly. Bryt watched him, leaning against Ron again, glad for his comfort next to her. She knew things were going to be different from now on, now that Voldemort was rising to power again. All she could do was hope that they could stop him before things went too far.